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The CREFI Excel Add-in works with Microsoft Excel on Windows and Mac (Excel 2016 or later, or Microsoft 365).

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Installation

1

Open Excel

Open Microsoft Excel and any workbook (or create a new one).
2

Go to the Add-ins menu

Click Insert in the ribbon, then click My Add-ins (or Office Add-ins on some versions).
3

Install the CREFI add-in

Search for CREFI in the store, or use the link provided by your administrator for a custom deployment. Click Add.
4

Sign in

The CREFI taskpane will open on the right side of Excel. Sign in with your CREFI account credentials. Your session is authenticated securely — you won’t need to sign in again unless your session expires.

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First Use

Once signed in, you’ll see a chat interface in the taskpane. This works just like the CREFI web chat, but with direct access to your spreadsheet. Try a few things to get started:

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Read your spreadsheet

Ask CREFI to read and summarize what’s in your workbook:
  • “What sheets are in this workbook?”
  • “Summarize the data in the Rent Roll sheet”
  • “What’s in cells A1 through D10?”

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Make changes

Ask CREFI to write data or formulas:
  • “Put the headers Property, Units, Price, Cap Rate in row 1”
  • “Add a SUM formula for the total in cell D20”
  • “Format column C as currency”

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Ask questions about your data

  • “What’s the average rent per unit on this sheet?”
  • “Which units have leases expiring in the next 6 months?”
  • “Search for any cells containing ‘vacancy‘“

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Tips

Be specific about locations. When asking CREFI to read or write cells, mention the sheet name and cell range. For example: “Read cells A1:F50 on the T-12 sheet.”
Let CREFI see your data first. Before asking analytical questions, let CREFI read the relevant range. It works best when it has the full picture.
Review changes before proceeding. CREFI highlights affected cells and explains what it changed. Take a moment to verify before moving on.